It's time...

 ... to spread your wings. I purchased a magazine solely for the free stamp sheet that came with it. (Although the magazine, Creative Stamping, is great, too.)

Today's ingredients were inspired by a couple of challenges.

I started by smearing a paper with some leftover paints. The lower half is more or less mud, but I stenciled the top half with a round stencil and green paint, which created some interesting structure. I cut out a good piece off it, selected some stamps and a sentiment to match and set to work. The flowers were colored in with markers, the bird with watercolor pencils. As for the tag, after die cutting it I left all the little pieces in place that would normally fall out. I think the effect is nicer this way as it does not garner more attention than the bird.

 

I am entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Stamp it

 Stencil Fun: AG with a stencil / yellows optional. I am playing with AG

Addicted to Stamps and More: #525 Die cuts and/or stencil - I have used both

Triple B: Birds-blooms- butterflies AG - My bird has a yellow breast, but otherwise I veered off from inspiration photo

 

PIP: #2636 AG 

 

Poppies for birthday

 The ultimate summer flowers for me are poppies. But since they wither fast, it is safer to give them as a card. 

I have so many poppy stamps to prove my poppy addiction; today my selection fell on these supplies, a stamp set with lovely large poppies, a gifted gelli printed background and sentiments and their frames.

I started by cutting the gelli print to size. I preserved the woman's face, thinking it might peek behind the flowers. But in the end it was covered to an extent that it is unrecognizable only if you know what to look for. I then stamped the poppies and colored them in with markers, then fussy cut them. 

I arranged them on the background, raising the flowers with foam pads, but glueing the stems down. Then I stamped the label, fussy cut it and stamped the sentiment on it. It reads 'Best wishes for your birthday'.

Entering this in these challenges that inspired me today:

We Love Stamping: Summer Blooms

Beautiful Blossoms: #44 AG floral/ photo inspiration optional. I was inspired by the photo

 

Triple B: TB August/ moodboard optional

 

Passion For Markers: #851 Floral Vibes 

Hand Stamped Sentiments: #495 AG/ moodboard optional - I was inspired by the combination of red yellow, green in this moodboard 

 

Creative Inspirations: August AG 

 

Enjoy your day

 I was so happy to see that there were a few challenges that I could combine with each other: create a background, work according to a sketch, use older stamps and depict flowers, birds and butterflies. So satisfying!

I purchased this set of Carabelle Au Grand Air stamps a year ago (and they are still available worldwide, I just checked). The butterfly stamp from a TH collection is a veritable oldie, I must have had it for at least 5 years if not longer. 

 

I also used a gelli print and my Gansai Tambi watercolors.

I stamped, heat embossed and watercolored three pictures: a bird, flowers and a nature scene. I also stamped, heat embossed and watercolored the butterfly and fussy cut it. Then I adhered all to that gelli print background according to the sketch. I added the butterfly (on foam strips) onto the center picture. The sentiment says: "Enjoy your day".

 

 Entering this in these challenges that were my inspiration today:

Retro Rubber Challenge: #rrcb 276 Sketch time

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make your own background 

Triple B: AG w/ birds, blooms, butterflies 

Festive Friday: #FF0214 National Friendship Day, Pick 3: I picked flowers, birds, butterflies 

 

 

Two blooms and a butterfly

 I have more flower stamps and dies than anything else, but I have neglected them quite a while. Today I finally grabbed a good and trusty flower stamp with a great background (Studio Light). The butterfly was a left-over from a while ago (here) and the sentiment ('Best wishes' in German) comes from Creative Depot.

I colored it with my Gansai Tambi watercolors - twice. The first layer can still be seen in places, it is a different color. It gives the color some depth in my opinion.

 

Entering this in these challenges that I took cues from:

Triple B: June challenge. - I went with the colors and used two 'b' 's (bloom and butterfly) 

Fab 'n Funky: #639 Summer Flowers

 

Unicorn Challenge: #121 Flowers

Allsorts: #851 Anything Goes from the garden  - my second entry

Wishing you happiness

 I am very fond of British nature themed stamps; they are simply beautiful and create a serene look that looks almost like a vintage copperplate.

Today I grabbed two, the birds are by Crafty Individuals and the berries by PaperArtsy. A few challenges were calling my name and I hoped to combine them in one card. 

I picked my favorite colors, or rather color combination for this time of year which is baby blue with dark, brownish red. I made a gelli print and embossed it with leaves. I stamped the birds in brown Versamark ink, cut the panels out and inked the edges. I used the same ink for the rose hip stamp, embossed it with clear embossing powder and fussy cut it, then colored it in with pencils and markers.

I am entering this into these challenges:

Triple B: December challenge I liked the stark black and white feel of this inspiration photo. I just could not fit in a butterfly this time!

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: AG floral or Moodboard - I was very inspired by the winter imagery, especially the rose hips spoke to me. These colors have a beautiful vintage vibe, too. - I am now unsure whether I should have added a flower as it was not in the images. But then I think: the rose hip was a beautiful flower and became a fruit afterwards. So perhaps it counts?

Stamping Sensations: Favourite colors - baby blue with dark red as counterpoint

Let's Craft and Create: #202 AG+ vintage feel

Another *Inspired by...

 Today's card was inspired by strong, summery colors provided by one challenge, but also the verbal suggestion of red, white and blue of another. On top of that I attempted to keep is CAS*. 

The yellow background is a gelli print on tissue. The flowers and butterfly are stamped, fussy cut and arranged. II don't own many markers, so in order to get the shading I colored everything first with watercolor pencils, shading them in the process, then went over with one marker in the same color.

*CAS seems to be such a wide concept. Some challenges accept only one layer cards with plenty of white space, some are fine with layering as long as there is empty space (not necessarily white) - frankly, I am rather confused at times. The common theme seems to be 'one focal point', if I am not totally mistaken. How do you handle CAS?

Entering this into the challenges that inspired me today:

Daring Card Makers: July Elemental inspiration Challenge - Iwas inspired by the colors pink and orange, using a colorful background with already colorful images, gradation and flowers.  - Update - I was too late with my entry and could not enter the challenge!

Day of the Month Card Club: #53 National Simplicity Day

Simply Clean and Simple: CAS, optional: Roses are red, violets are blue - the challenge picture made me want to add a blue butterfly to the mix.

Triple B: July Challenge - blooms and a butterfly

The Flower Challenge: #82 CAS

Sweet Stamping: Flowers/ Blooming beautiful

Pretty in pink

 I love challenges for the inspiration they give me. Today's picks were "pink - roses and butterflies - watercolor - hello".

The background was done with watercolor. The rose and butterfly were stamped and colored in with watersoluble crayons.

The word was die cut from a holographic silver card stock.

Entering this in challenges that acted as my muse:

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolor

Just Us Girls: #683 "Hello" 

 Sweet Stamping: Pretty in Pink

Triple B: June Challenge - Inspiration board.  -  I loved that red butterfly!

Daring Cardmakers: Everything coming up roses

Thank you for your visit!